Developing apparatus for photographic film strips



Jan. 17, 1928.' 1,656,522

A. M. JOSEPHO DEVELOBINGAPPARATUS FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM STRIPS Filed- March 1;, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY JOSEPH-l0 Jan. 17 1928.

DEVELOPING APPABA'QUS FOR 'lHbTOGRAPI-IIG FILM STRIPS ATTORNEY Jan. 17, 1928. Y 1,656,522

A. M. JOSEPHO DEVELOPING APPARATUS FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM STRIPS Filed March 13, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Jan. .17, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AHATOL M. .rosnrno, or New YORK, N. Y., assreivoa ro' rnoromnron me, or new roux, 1v. 1, A CORPORATION or NEW YORK.

DEVELOPING'AI'PARATUS FOR PHOTOGRAPEIG FILM STRIPS.

Application filed March 13, 1925. Serial No. 15,293.

The object of the present invention is to provide an automatic developing mechanism .for strips or sheets of photographic film, whether said film is of celluloid or paper or other flexible material, the term film be ing broadly used, and to so handle the film that, in its passage through the machine, the emulsified surface is kept intact without scratching or marring. A further object of the invention is to provide a novel form of feeding mechanism for carrying the film through successive tanks. Further objects will hereinafter appear.

The invention will be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of an apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention Figure 2 is a elevation of the apparatus on the side reverse to that represented in Figure 1; 1

Figure 3 is an elevationvof one of the tank plates;

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional detail of the tank feeding mechanism, the section being on the line 4-4, Figure 5;

Figure 5 is a skeleton view of .the film feeding mechanism of one of the tanks, the supporting plates for the rollers, and the belts;

Figure 6 is a plan view of the structure illustrated in Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a transverse section on the line 7-7, Figure 4:;

Figure 8 is a transverse section on the line 8-8, Figure 4;

Figure 9 is an enlarged section on the line 9-9, Figure 4:;

Figure 10 is a bottom perspective view of the device for reversing the direction. of

movement of the film, interposed between adjacent tanks at the tops thereof, and

Figure 11 is a diagrammatic view in elevation of the chemical supply controlling means. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, it will be seen that the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings consists of a casing A, which is divided into vertical sections by the walls of a number of individual tank members indicated in the drawings by the numerals 1 to 9 inclusive. These tanks are for the purpose of holdingthe various baths and solutions used in the development of sheets or strips of photographic film.

Referring to Figure 1, it will be seen that the film passes downwardly through a chute 10 and into the tank 9, at the top of which it meets feeding mechanism which is shown in detail in F i "ures 3 to 9 inclusive.

Referring to *igure 4 it will be noted that the film enters at the point indicated by the arrow 11 and at that point it meets the annular enlarged end-faces 12 of a feed roller 12. A series of these feed rollers are employed within the tank and they are the same in construction so that the plan view in Figure 9 illustrating one of the rollers will serve for all.

In Figure 4 I have shown five of these, centrally disposed feed rollers 12, and they are driven by two belts (see Figure 9), which I have indicated by the numeral 13.

As thefilm enters at the point indicated by the arrow, Figure 4, it is lightly pressed the feed rollers 12. If, however, a shorter film is to be acted upon, additional feed rollers may be provided. Thus prior to the time the rear end of the strip or sheet of film leaves the topmost feed roller 12, the lower end of the strip will have been fed down into contact with the second feed roller 12 and so on until the'strip reaches its lowermost position and comes into contact with the lowermost feed roller 12 which is placed immediately above a curved guide wall 15 which serves to reverse the direction of movement of the -film sheet or strip and compel it to move upwardly between said lowermost guide roller 12 and a belt 15. The conjoint action of the guide roller 12 and belt 15 will be to carry the film sheet .tank plates 17 and these pulleys are driven by two tension belts 18, l8 which pass over pulleys 19 and. 20, pulley19 being carried by guide roller a and pulley 20 being carried by guide roller b for the belts 14 and 15 respectively. Belt .18 is an endless belt which passes over guide rollers 21 and belt 18 is likewise an .endless belt which passes over guide rollers 22. Rollers a and b are provided with drive shafts 23, carrying at their ends sprockets 24, 24", driven by a chain 25,

which also drives the feeding units for the remaining tanks, as illustrated in Figure 2. Shaft 24 or shaft 24 may also carry a pulley 26 connected by belt 27 with a motor shaft 28. Belts 14 and 15 are guided by a suitable number of tension rollers, such as rollers 29 and at their lower ends the belts may pass over guide rollers, such as rollers 30.

The rollers 29 are mounted 'on shafts which project through slots formed in the side plates 17, and each shaft carries-a small pulley 32. The two opposite pulleys 32 at each side plate are connected by tension belts 31 of rubber or the like which tend to-move the said rollers 29 inwardly and thereby carry belts 14 and 15 toward the bevelled enlarged ends 12 of the feed rollers 12, so as to carry the film against the bevelled enlarged ends of said rollers.

The side plates 17 of the tank are held by the spacer and screw connections 33.

As the film emerges from the initial tank at the point of the arrow l6, Figures 1 and 4, it meets a curved guide member 34 shown in detail in Fi e 10. This member is rovided with tfi d ar'cuate side flanges 35 w ich are adapted --to engage the "side margins of the film whilst the main emulsified surface is untouched, and to guide the film in an arouate path downwardly and into contact with feed rollers and belts of the succeeding tank which rollers and belts may be arranged substantially in accordance with the arrangement hereinbefore discussed with respect to Fi res 3 to 9 inclusive.

mmunicating with the top of tanks 1, 3, 5 and 7 are spray pipes 36, having their discharge outlets so arranged as to spray moisture upon the emulsified face of the film as it passes through the tank, or in other words, the spray acts as a wash for the fihn. Tanks 1, 3, 5 and 7 in the present embodiment of the invention are washing tanks, and the film is carried through them in order to subject it to a bath which will remove or otherwise affect the chemical solutions from the proceeding tanks. Spray pipes 36 are fed with water or other washing fluid via. branch pipe 37, to which the fluid is fed through pipe 38 from the source of supply. The spray may be under any suitable pressure and in any desired volume.

lVashing tanks 1, 3, 5 and 7 are drained I by means of pipes 39 communicating with the bottom of each tank and leading to drain pipe 40.

Chemicals are delivered to the developing, fixing and toning tanks 2, 4, 6, 8, 9 by supply pipes 41. These supply pipes have connected thereto rubber conduits 42, each leading to an appropriate supply tank 43 for the chemical solution and each tube passing over the plate 43 of the solenoid 44. The field plate 45 of the armature is connected to plate 43* by rods 43 and is held downward in such position as to collapse the tubes and prevent passage of the chemical solutions by means of s rings 46. The arrangement is such that w ien the armature is momentarily energized, the field is moved to relieve pressure from the tubes and a small quantity of liquid is allowed to flow downward into the chemical tanks to su ply fiuid theretofore taken up by evaporation or by the moving film in its entry into and removal from the chemical tanks. thus fed to the film treating tanks can be regulated by varying the timing of the switch which closes and opens the circuit to the solenoid.

When the film passes into the final washing tank Land is moved downwardly therein by the belts and rollers and then passes upward to the point 47, it is pushed upwardly into a channel 48 until its top end passes between the surface of a feed belt 49, and the lowermost of a series of rollers 50. Belt 49 is an endless belt supported by a series of rollers such as 51 and is driven in the direction of the arrows. The film is thus carried upwardly and is finally discharged onto an endless carrier 52, which may be a chain or chains. The horizontal portion of carrier 52 is disposed immediately over a heating chamber A containing an electrical resistance member 53. Air is passed into the heating chamber through a conduit 54 and the heated air passes throughapertures 55 into contact with the fihn, the emulsified face of which should be lowermost. This heated air will tend to lift the film from the surface of the carrier 52 and thus relieve the latter of the Weight of the film. If the film is bodily lifted by the heated air, it will be moved along to the right by belt 49. It will be understood that carrier 52 will be moved in such manner as to tend to carry the film to the right whenever it contacts with the film. The film is finally ejected at the point 56. The drying mechanism, thus briefly de scribed, forms the subject of a companion ap- The amount of chemical lllll relationshi sive, it will be seen that the film actuating mechanism for each tank is an independent unit, removable from the. tank as-a whole.

Each unit is held assembled by means of the side plates 17 the latter being held in spaced by means of the spacer members 33. he feed belts are relatively short,

. easily replaced and the entire construction possesses many advantages over that in which the feed belts pass from one tank to another. 1

The sprocket wheels 24, 24" of each tank conveyin mechanism are connected by a motor drive chain 25 and this chain may be maintained under roper tension by means of tensioning mem ers such as those illustrated in Figure 2 and comprising arms 56 each pivoted at 57 ,upon a wall of the casing and providedwith a contact roller 58 held under spring pressure by spring 59- connected at160 to the casing wall.

It will be understood that various modifications may be made in the form and arrangement of the elements illustrated in the drawings, without departing from the spirit of the invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent being as follows:

1. In developing apparatus for photographic films, a plurality of tanks, means in each tank for conveying a film in reverse directions within the tank and stationary guiding means intermediate two tanks whereby the film from one tank may be de livered to the feeding means of a second tank.

2. In developing apparatus for photographic film strips, a plurality of tanks,

means in each of said tanks for conveying a film in reverse directions therein and for carrying the film out of the tank and stationary guidlng means intermediate two tanks for receiving the film from one tank and delivering it to another, said guiding means being adapted for marginal contact only with the film. 3. In developing apparatus for photographic films, a plurality of tanks, means-in each of said tanks for conveying a film in reverse dlIOCtlOllS therein and for projecting the film exterior-1y of the tank, and guiding means intermediate two tanks adapted to receive the film from one tankv and deliver it to a second tank, said means comprising a stationary member having opposed flanged walls adapted to engage the film at the man gins thereof,

4L. In developing apparatus for photographic films, a plurality of tanks, two spaced endless belts in each tank, a plurality at contact rollers inte m diate the belts and guiding means adapted to receive the film when moved by one belt and the contact rollers to a given position and rev'erse the direction of movement of the film and'carry it.

into position to be moved in said reverse direction by the second belt and said contact rollers.

5. In developing apparatus for photographic fihns, a tank and feeding mechanism in said tank com risin a belt adapted to contact with one ace 0 a film and a'roller adapted to engage the marginal edges only I of the' opposte face of the film. 6. In developing apparatus for photo graphic film, a tank and conveying means in said tank comprising spaced belts adapted'to engage the'margins of one face ofa film and a roller adapted to engage the margins of the opposite face of said film.

7. In developing apparatus for photoraphic films, a tank and conveying means in said tank comprising a plurality of spaced contact rollers, each roller having a reduced central portion and an enlarged portion at each end,-means for rotating said rollers and an endless belt adjacent said contact rollers and adapted to engage one face of the film,

the other face of which is engaged by the rollers.

8. In developing apparatus forphotographic films, a tank and conveying means for the filmdisposed in said tank, said means comprising a plurality of spaced contact rollers, each roller adapted to contact with the film at the margins only of the latter and two pairs of endless belts at opposite sides of said contact rollers, as and for the purpose .set forth.

9. In developin graphic films, a tan and a conveyor disposed within said tank, comprising a plurality of contact rollers centrally disposed in said tank, means for rotating said rollers, a plurality of endless belts and located at opposite sides of the'contact rollers, and film reversing means at one end of the series of contact rollers whereby the' film is delivered from one position relatively of the contact apparatus for photolot) rollers to another position opposite thereto.

10. In developing apparatus for photographic films, a tank and means for conveymg a film within said tank, including a contact roller having a centrally reduced portion and a projecting portionat each end adapted to engage the filmat the margins thereof only.

11. In developing apparatus for photographic films, a tank, a plurality of contact rollers in superposed relation in said tank, a belt for rotating said rollers in unison, second belt extending laterally of the rollers and adapted to coaet therewith in carrying the film in a given direction, film reversing means, and a second beltadjacent the, rollers and pposite t e fir t named belt and adapted in combination with film reversing means at one end of the last named rollers.

13. In developing apparatus for photographic films, a plurality of tanks, means in each tank acting as a unit independently of like means in the other tank or tanks, for

receiving a. film and conveying it in reverse directions within the tank and then projectingan end thereof exteriorly of the tank, in combination with stationary means for guid- 1ng' the film from one tank to another.

14. In developing apparatus for photographic films, a casing, a plurality of relatively deep and narrow tanks, means for conveying film in reverse directions within each tank, and arcuate guide means for receiving the film from one tank and delivering it to another tank.

15. In developing mechanism" for photographic films, a plurality of relatively deep and narrow tanks, means for conveyin a. photographic film in reverse directions within each tank, stationary means for receiving the film from one tank and delivering it to an adjacent tank, a plurality of said tanks being washing tanks, in combination with pipes for ejecting liquid within said tanks, means for delivering a liquid to said pipe and means for draining the washing tanks.

16. In developing apparatus for photographic films, a plurality of relatively deep and narrow tanks. and means in each tan for conveying a film in reverse directions therein, and for projecting the film out of the tank, an arcuate guide member ada ted to receive the film from one tank and deliver it to an adjacent tank, the conveying mechanism in one tank comprising units independent of those of the adjacent tank.

17. In developing apparatus for photographic films, adjacent tanks, means in each of said tanks for conveying a film longitudinally thereof, means at the base of one tank for reversing the direction of movement of the film and stationary means intermediate the tanks for receiving the film from one tank and delivering it to a second tank, said means being independent of the feeding means within the tanks.

In testimony whereof, Ihave signed my name to this specification:

- ANATOL M. J OSEPHO. 

